British Tanks Turn the Tides
At the Hindenburg Line
Hindenburg Line Thought to be Impenetrable
Britain had German on the run. The Germans retreated to the Hindenburg line, their last and strongest defense. The Hindenburg Line was a 90 mile stretch of trenches that was extremely well defended. It had a field of barbed wire 100 meters thick in front of the trenches. The trenches had many high powered machine guns to mow down any advancements through the barbed wire. The Germans could bunker down and receive supplies from behind their lines. It seemed bleak for the British. An assault on the Hindenburg line would mean substantial losses for the British. They could not take the risk unless they some way to get through the barbed wire and machine gun fire.
British Mark 1 Introduced
With the new technological advances, the British developed an armored vehicle that could cut through the barbed wire and withstand the machine gun fire. It was the world first tank, the British Mark 1. The world, and more importantly, the Germans, had never seen anything like it. The first mark 1 was introduced on September 26th, 1916. It was the perfect weapon to get soldier through the barbed wire and into the trenches. Once inside the trenches, the British's sheer number could defeat the Germans.
British Mark 1 Break the Hindenburg Line!
8 newly introduce Mark 1 tanks charged the front line. They allowed soldiers to get through no-mans-land. They easily break through the barbed wire and allow soldiers to enter the trenches. The British break through the Hindenburg line and push back the Germans. The demoralized Germans had no where left to run. They were forced to surrender and Britain wins the battle. Without the Mark 1, the British never would have broken the line. (3)